Her Campus South Carolina’s “Social Superstars” panel at In Her Shoes was nothing short of perfection. The three women represented so much more than just an Instagram feed – they represented a successful lifestyle. Here is a quick recap of the panels’ answers to questions we all have about becoming Instagram famous:
K. Lee Graham: former Miss Teen South Carolina, current Pre-Law Junior @ The University of South Carolina.
Instagram Handle: @k.leegraham
Her Campus South Carolina: What does being an influencer mean to you?
K. Lee Graham: It means having a voice and using that outlet to reach out to other people to make a difference, whether it’s in the fashion world or a lifestyle capacity.
HCSC: What are the Do’s and Don’ts to creating your own brand?
KG: Allow your brand to grow with you instead of trying to stay that one thing or trying to be someone else. Learn how to balance and still say the same person.
HCSC: What are your go-to apps or filters?
KG: VSCO. I’m using A6 right now, but it used to be F2. I am also trying to use Lightroom. When I’m building graphics, sometimes shots off my iPhone do so much better than like a professional, perfectly lit picture that I put a lot of heart into. People want to see images that are relatable and attainable.
Megan Pinckney: originally from Charleston SC, former graduate of UofSC, creator of the blog: Shades of Pinck.
Instagram Handle: @shadesofpinck
Her Campus South Carolina: What does being an influencer mean to you?
Meg Pinckney: An influencer is someone who is able to identify with real people and connect to people who share the same interest and lifestyle that they either live, or want to live.
HCSC: What are the Do’s and Don’ts to creating your own brand?
MP: Establishing a personal brand is difficult because we are always trying to find and discover ourselves. What I did was I found people and things that inspired me. I tried to figure out why they inspired me and how I could use that to inspire other people. With building a following, your quill is really important. Your quill on instagram are the first nine photos that pop up when someone opens your page. It is important because these photos are your introduction. Keeping your quill aligned with your brand is so important.
HCSC: What are your go-to apps or filters?
MP: I don’t use just one app, the first one is Snapseed, which allows me to change contrast, brightness, shadows and lots of other things. I use Facetune and I use a color story to match my quill. It is a lot of playing around and finding out what works best for you and your followers.
Hannah McKeel: owner and CEO of creative agency, McKeely Creative in Greenville SC, graduated from Anderson SC with a degree in Elementary Education.
Instagram Handle: @mckeelycreative
Her Campus South Carolina: What does being an influencer mean to you?
Hannah McKeel: An influencer has credibility in a certain area and the knowledge to share with an audience that’s interested in what they have to share
HCSC: What are the Do’s and Don’ts to creating your own brand?
HM: Whether you know it or not, you have a personal brand. You are already known for certain things that you do or certain ways that you act, or things that you wear or buy. So, it is important as you go into any profession to really refine your brand to reflect your goals. As you build a business, you want to focus more on the brand side of things than the business side of things. Staying true to yourself and who you are and things that you like, those are going to be the secrets to really keeping your brand consistent.
HCSC: What are your go-to apps or filters?
HM: I would recommend getting VSCO. Also, to plan your Instagram feed ahead of time, there are several apps you can download that are free to plan out your Instagram ahead of time. One of them is Unum, its so easy to use and you can plan out posts ahead of time. It even sends you a reminder when its time to post. When it comes to taking the photo, don’t take one that’s inconsistent with the colors that you love and that’s on your feed. Taking photos intentionally is important too
A big thank you goes out to our “Social Superstars” panel. They juggled questions about being an influencer, building their brand and using the best apps for an even-feed. In Her Shoes was a huge success this year thanks to women like K. Lee, Megan and Hannah – who opened up and shared their successes with HCSC’s audience.